Aeronautics and astronautics – Missile stabilization or trajectory control – Remote control
Patent
1997-12-15
2000-11-14
Jordan, Charles T.
Aeronautics and astronautics
Missile stabilization or trajectory control
Remote control
244 316, 89 4106, F41G 700
Patent
active
061457841
ABSTRACT:
An imaging self-referencing target tracker (10) for a laser weapon (12). The weapon generates a first beam of radiation (14) that engages a target (16) to form a beam hit spot (20) thereon. In a first embodiment, a target illuminator (22) (variant 1) illuminates the target with a second beam of radiation (23a). An optics subsystem (30) receives and separately images the first and second beams (23b, 24) of radiation. In a second embodiment, a blocking filter (40) is implemented rather than an illumination laser to pass only radiation at the target wavelength, thereby ensuring that the first and second beams of radiation are separately imaged. A controller (32) is programmed to steer the first and second beams of radiation to the desired target aim point (18) in response to information from the imaged first and second beams of radiation. The tracker of the present invention tracks the laser hit spot relative to the actual target image in a closed loop manner, thereby increasing the probability of accurate target engagement and resulting in a target kill.
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Buckley Denise J
Jordan Charles T.
TRW Inc.
Yatsko Michael S.
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